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  Method for the control of a vehicle safety deviceUSPTO Application #: 20060206250Title: Method for the control of a vehicle safety device Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the control of a vehicle safety device, wherein signals of at least two motion sensors are measured which are independent of one another in that they are designed or arranged for the measurement of movements of a different direction and/or type, the absolute amount of the signal of at least one motion sensor is compared with at least one threshold fixed for this signal, the absolute amount of the signal of at least a further one of the motion sensors is compared with a threshold fixed for this further motion sensor and the vehicle, movement is classified as critical or not critical in dependence on the comparison results. (end of abstract) Agent: Delphi Technologies, Inc. - Troy, MI, US Inventor: Abtin Darvish USPTO Applicaton #: 20060206250 - Class: 701045000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, And Relative Location, Vehicle Control, Guidance, Operation, Or Indication, Vehicle Subsystem Or Accessory Control, Control Of Vehicle Safety Devices (e.g., Airbag, Seat-belt, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060206250. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The invention relates to a method for the control of a vehicle safety device wherein signals from motion sensors are taken into account for the evaluation of the vehicle movement and to a vehicle safety device with which the method can be carried out and/or in which the method can be used. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A method of this type can be used, for example, to recognize whether a situation is present in which a roll movement or rollover movement of a motor vehicle is impending, in order to be able to initiate suitable safety measures as required. The trigger mechanisms for corresponding safety devices, such as for the deployment mechanism of a roll bar, for a belt tightener or for an airbag should then in particular be switched to "live". The switching to "live" is also termed "arming". [0003] The safety system should e.g. always be armed when the vehicle movement is such that there is a risk of rolling over. The logic for the arming of the safety system must therefore be more sensitive than the trigger logic of the vehicle safety system itself which only engages when, for example, a rollover actually occurs. [0004] The logic for arming may, however, not be so sensitive that the system is always armed. A permanently armed system would, for example, be detected as a defect in systems in which the functional capability is checked periodically and automatically. [0005] There is a large risk of a permanent arming being present, for example, when driving over rough road surfaces. High vertical accelerations occur here without the risk of a rotary motion being present which could result in a rollover. Another situation in which there is a risk of permanent arming of the safety device is driving on a winding road, where the lateral forces can be very high. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device with whose help a vehicle motion can be evaluated more reliably, in particular as to whether a critical situation is present or not. [0007] This object is satisfied by a method having the features of claim 1 and a device having the features of claim 15. Dependent claims are directed to advantageous embodiments. A particularly advantageous use is the subject of claim 16. [0008] In the method in accordance with the invention, the signals from at least two motion sensors are measured which are independent of one another in that they are arranged or designed for the measurement of movements of a different direction and/or type. [0009] For example, the motion sensors can be selected or arranged such that they measure the lateral acceleration, the vertical acceleration and/or the longitudinal acceleration, that is accelerations in different directions. Motion sensors are provided or arranged in other embodiments in a manner to measure the angular speed about a lateral axis, about a longitudinal axis or about a vertical axis, that is the angular speed in different directions of rotation. In yet other embodiments, combinations of motion sensors of this type or of motion sensors arranged in this manner are used e.g. to evaluate the linear acceleration in a direction, on the one hand, and the angular speed about an axis, on the other hand. The invention is, however, not limited to these examples for the selection and/or arrangement of the motion sensors. [0010] In the present text, the term "signal" in each case means the absolute amount of the measured signal. [0011] The signals of the at least two independent motion sensors are compared with at least one respective threshold value associated with them. These comparisons are taken into account in the evaluation of the vehicle movement. The signals of at least two motion sensors measuring different movements are therefore used for the evaluation of the vehicle movement. The threshold values of the individual sensors can be selected to be low so that the individual measurement is not made too insensitive. It is, however, ensured that, e.g. when only one threshold for the signal of a motion sensor is exceeded, no classification as critical is yet made, but only when a further independent sensor also measures an exceeding of a threshold. Great stability against an unwanted classification as critical is therefore present despite the high sensitivity of the individual sensor measurement. [0012] A safety device can be triggered directly on a classification as critical. The method can, however, particularly advantageously be used to determine whether a safety device should be armed, because no rollover is e.g. taking place, but is already impending. [0013] Depending on the use or desired safety level, groups of thresholds are selected with respect to the signals of the independent sensors which each include at least two threshold values which are associated with independent sensors. A plurality of groups of this type can be fixed and a classification as critical can be made when the threshold values of one of the groups fixed in this manner are reached or exceeded. A plurality of thresholds of different amounts, which are classified in different groups, can be provided for the signal of a sensor. [0014] With an embodiment of this type, a number of thresholds are e.g. fixed for each motion sensor. In this connection, it e.g. applies to the threshold values of an individual motion sensor that the rth threshold value is larger than the qth threshold when r is larger than q. In this embodiment, a vehicle movement is e.g. classified as critical when the absolute amount of the signal of at least one motion sensor reaches or exceeds an rth threshold associated with it and the absolute amount of the signal of at least one second motion sensor reaches or exceeds a qth threshold associated with it. [0015] The rth threshold can be e.g. a respective "nominal" threshold value and the qth threshold can be a respective "minimal" threshold value for the signal of the respective motion sensor. A different number and classification of the threshold values for the signals of the individual motion sensors result in different examination sensitivities. The thresholds of the same number q, r, . . . of different motion sensors are not necessarily the same. [0016] The method can, for example, be carried out such that, when a second threshold value for the signal of a first motion sensor is reached or exceeded, a check is made whether the first threshold for the signal of a second motion sensor, which is preferably smaller than a second threshold value for the signal of the second motion sensor, is reached or exceeded in order, if the answer is yes, to make a classification as critical. [0017] A check is made in another embodiment whether the signals of at least two motion sensors reach or exceed the first, smaller threshold value respectively associated with them. If this is the case, a check is made whether one of the signals also exceeds the second, higher threshold value associated with it before the vehicle movement is classified as critical. [0018] Preferred embodiments of the method in accordance with the invention use at least the signals of one motion sensor which measures the lateral acceleration and/or a motion sensor which measures the vertical acceleration. These accelerations are of priority significance particularly for the detection of a critical rolling movement of the vehicle. Other embodiments take account of the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle or of the angular speed about a horizontal axis, about a vertical axis or about a longitudinal axis. With a corresponding embodiment of the evaluation, slanted directions and axes can also be used. [0019] In a further development of the method in accordance with the invention, a boundary roll angle is set for the lateral vehicle inclination on whose reaching or exceeding the vehicle movement should be classified as critical in every case. [0020] If e.g. motion sensors are provided which measure the lateral acceleration and/or the vertical acceleration, the lowest threshold value for the signal of the motion sensor which measures the lateral acceleration and/or the smallest threshold value for the signal of the motion sensor which measures the vertical acceleration is/are fixed such that a vehicle inclination equal to or larger than the boundary roll angle results in a classification as critical on the basis of the signal which is caused by the gravitational acceleration g in the coordinate system fixed with respect to the vehicle. [0021] In an embodiment in which the lateral acceleration is evaluated, the lowest threshold value for the signal of the motion sensor which measures the lateral acceleration can, for this purpose, be set smaller than the amount of the product from the sinus value of the selected boundary roll angle with the gravitational acceleration. If the vehicle is in a rolling movement which signifies an inclination beyond this boundary roll angle, a lateral acceleration in the coordinate system fixed with respect to the vehicle already results from the gravitation acceleration which is larger than the amount of the product from the sinus of the boundary roll angle with the gravitational acceleration so that, in such a case, the vehicle movement is always classified as critical and a safety system is armed, for example. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method for the control of a vehicle safety device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method for the control of a vehicle safety device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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